my daily NY Times report

I was reading the NY Times at work today (because why would I have any work to do?) and came across 2 articles that I feel the need to discuss.

The first article was basically “Owning Your Okayness.” It was making a case for letting people have messy houses & messy offices. Examples: A clean desk might be a sign of un-productivity. A messy closet might indicate a cooler, more laid-back mom.

I need to take issue with this. In my case, a clean desk at works indicates a higher level or productivity because I don’t have to spend time looking for things; I know exactly where everything should be (when people move things without telling me, that’s another story) and can zip through my work faster than my messier compatriots. I also know this from experience, because there are people in this office who have about 3 feet of paper covering every inch of their desk (and the file cabinets, and the floor, and their chair) who, yes, are working, but then waste a lot of their time looking for something. There might also be a correlation between messiness and bad memory, a la “I know I had something for that person, but where did I put it?” (search, search).

As for the home, it may be true that people who have neater houses may be a little more uptight in other aspects of their lives. However, cleaning up does not disqualify you from the Race for Coolest Parent of the Year. In this context, “cool” means “undisciplining” by the way. But having a messy house might add to the stress levels, thus canceling out the “cool” factor. I know this happens to me. I freak out when my desk at work or my space at home gets too messy. Then I clean it. But again, I can find things when I need them.

I am what the article calls a “cycler.” I go through stages of messy and clean. This is partly due to the afore-mentioned freakouts, but also due to my laziness. My house is by no means spic & span. It is lived in. However, it’s not a rat’s nest either. The floor is (relatively) free of clutter. Things are on shelves. There are just a lot of things. And a lot of shelves.

The article also mentioned that a messier workspace is a sign of a more creative mind. Apparently the mind is so busy creating and innovating that it has no time for organizing. But organizing can be creative. I’ve fashioned many a makeshift storage area out of other things. I did a damn fine job at it too, if you ask me. Which you did. And I consider myself highly creative. Besides the storing, there’s also the beading, the writing, and the occasional drawing. Yet my house is not a disaster area.

Clearly I was not a big fan of that article.

The second article was better. It was about the rising trend in making donations to charities in someone else's name instead of buying a tangible gift, a la George from Seinfeld. This has always seemed a little akward to me. What if you offend the recipient by not knowing them well enough to find a nice gift for them, or you give to the wrong charity? The article mentions that it's probably a bad idea to do this for new significant other, but after decades of marriage, it could be more acceptable. A better idea, which the article also brings up, is to ask the person which charity they would like to donate to. That way you can gauge their reaction, and be sure to give the money to the right place.

This actually happened to me this year. My sister, who normally gives gift cards (and has not indicated that she reads this blog), sent a typewritten note listing a few charities that they are going to donate to instead of buying tangible gifts, and asking us to do the same. I'm glad they asked first because I have nothing to do with Orange County, and even though I'm sure the ones listed are super, I have my own charities (cough, Animal Haven, AIDS Walk*, cough, cough) that I'd rather support.

I think giving to charities as gifts is a good idea. Just do it tactfully. I consider my sister's approach very tactful.

So there are my thoughts on some things. Thank you NY Times for this enlightenment.



* The AIDS Walk is in May.... you'll receive pressure to donate soon enough...